DUCHE, JAcou (1737-98). An American clergyman and writer. He was horn in Philadelphia of Huguenot parentage; was a incinher of the first class which graduated 117571 at the f'ollege of Philadelphia (now the Univer sity of Pennsylvania) ; studied for a time at Cam b•idge University, England, and in 1775 became rector of the united parishes of Christ Church and Saint Peter's. Philadelphia. On the approach of the Revolutionary War. he joined the \l'hig or Patriot party. and on September 7, 177-1, made the opening prayer before the Continental Con gress then assembled in Carpenter's Hall. Phila delphia. John .kdains, writing a few days later, said: " I most emifess I never heard at better prayer or one sn well priammieed• Dr. Cooper himself never prayed With stud) fervor. such r. earnestness and pathos, and in lan guage so elegant and sublime for .1merica,forthe Congress. for the province of Nlassachnsetts Bay, and espevially the town of Bostum.• For three months after the passage of the Declaration of Independenee he acted its eliaphlin to •ongre,„ but %then the English gained possession of l'hila ttelphia. lie abandoned the \\ big cause and in Detober, 1777. Ns n ,te his wellisnown letter to
urging him to represent to l'on the indispensable of the hasty and ill-advised Declaration of Independ ency" and. that failing. to "negotiate for your country at the head of your army." The letter becoming piddle, and much indignation being aroused against be NN VIII to England, where he soon attracted attention by hi, elo quence, and acted as chaplain II, t he 14:1 itillet II Itrplian Asylum until 17Im, when he came back to Philadelphia. Besides as number of occasional sermons, he published Won runt Roust on a 1 ffriOly of Sulifcci s, Li tcrary. II oral, regal kr I aglow:. in it ,''urine of Leaves writ ti n a Gentleman of Porcign L'.rt rart ion, who residril sorer Time in l'Io ilialcl !dila 177 a 1. a hank of some merit tcltirh became widely popular. wai frequently republished, and is best (Bann tinder the title raspipiria's Let It es. Ile al.° published Discoursf loll Sidlif OS I LA11111011. 1779 ) which passed into secret edition., C1)11-11it a brief sketch in Tyler, Litt rary II ist or!, of the .linerican Veroltrtion ( New York.